


cute-icles

by chasingjupiter



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Nail Polish, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 10:32:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingjupiter/pseuds/chasingjupiter
Summary: Shoma pauses and examines the red carefully. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.“This… this is nail polish.” he says slowly.“Yes,” Yuzuru says, relieved. “So, uh, can you help me out?”“What?”Yuzuru rolls his eyes. “You know,” he says casually. “Can you paint my nails?”





	cute-icles

Shoma stares at his phone in confusion.

 

_ Yuzuru: Shoma, could you come over quickly? I need help _

 

He wonders what Yuzuru needs. Maybe it’s a friend to analyze the competition. Or maybe it’s just another skater who can discuss his technique.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s someone more than a friend.

Shoma shakes his head and pockets his phone, already walking out the door. Yuzuru’s room is only a few doors down the hallway, and he can probably make his way over there faster than he can text back.

As he knocks on the door, he is surprised as it flies open immediately, revealing a Yuzuru with stress evident in his eyes, arms covered in streaks of some red liquid. 

“Oh my god,” Shoma gasps. “What happened?”

He rushes into the room, grabbing paper towels from the bathroom and wetting them under the faucet, dabbing at Yuzuru’s arms while he protests.

“No, Shoma, it’s not what it looks like,” he insists.

“What do you mean?”

Shoma pauses and examines the red carefully. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

“This… this is nail polish.” he says slowly.

“Yes,” Yuzuru says, relieved. “So, uh, can you help me out?”

“What?”

Yuzuru rolls his eyes. “You know,” he says casually. “Can you paint my nails?”

 

After Shoma gets over his initial shock, Yuzuru leads him into the petite bathroom, showing him the bottles scattered on the countertop.

“As you can see, I went with a red, but I’m not sure it suits me,” Yuzuru says conversationally.

“Oh,” Shoma says faintly. “Yeah.”

There are various hues of polish swatched on a paper towel. Shoma’s eyes are drawn to a lovely pearl shimmer that he pictures on his nails. His nails are smooth and even. He takes pride in the care of his nails - Mihoko had always told him to take care of them, and the evening ritual of filing his nails and applying oils and creams had become habit. It was soothing to dedicate a small portion of his time to pampering tiny details, and it pleased him to see the product of his devotion.

Yuzuru sighs audibly and looks down at his own nails. “Your nails are so nice,” he says, longing in his voice.

“What? Your nails are nice too,” Shoma frowns, examining Yuzuru’s nails. “And anyway, I spend way too much time taking care of mine.”

Yuzuru visibly balks and leans down to reexamine Shoma’s hands. “You do?”

“You don’t?”

“No,” Yuzuru says slowly. “I’ve never bothered.”

“Really? But your nails are neat and smooth,” Shoma protests in disbelief. He is stunned by Yuzuru’s pretty nails in their apparent natural glory.

“No, they’re not very nice to look at,” Yuzuru insists. “Should I start using products?”

“You don’t need to,” Shoma says quickly, beaming. “They are quite appealing even without any care. But if you ever want to, I have a lot of suggestions!”

“Could you… could you show me?” Yuzuru asks hesitantly.

“Sure!” Shoma answers brightly, dashing out of the room to fetch his favorite products. He returns in a minute, arms clutching a bag zippered tight. He opens the bag and pours its contents onto the counter, running his fingers over them happily.

“You see,” he begins with confidence that makes Yuzuru smile. “I have gathered quite the collection. Mihoko sometimes gives her favorites to me for my birthday.” 

He selects a small tin with a charming yellow label. “This is cuticle cream,” he explains, unscrewing the lid and swiping some onto his finger. “You just apply it to wherever it’s chapped or cut. Also, it feels great on your finger, see?” He smears a little onto his nail and looks up, glowing.

Yuzuru is a little bewildered by Shoma’s sudden enthusiasm, but leans in and rubs some onto his nails anyway. It makes sense, really. Of course Mihoko would pass on her knowledge to her student.

“And this is nail strengthener,” Shoma proceeds, presenting the white pot with a flourish of his fingers. “It works like magic,” he gushes. “It smoothes out your nails and makes them nice and strong.”

Yuzuru nods dutifully and ‘ooh’s in appropriate times, picking up certain bottles that catch his eye and reading the labels.

Shoma gasps and snatches up a dark bottle, holding it tight to his chest. “This is my favorite,” he says in a hushed tone. “It works wonders. It hydrates your nails and makes them pretty. And oh my god, smell it.” He waves the bottle under Yuzuru’s nose with fervor. “Don’t you just want to, I don’t know, bathe in it?”

Yuzuru sniffs the bottle and closes his eyes, savoring the delicate floral aroma. “It smells so good,” he admits. “I want to drink it.”

“Don’t do that,” Shoma says gravely, then turns back to his bag of miracles. “Okay, you can take these, here.” He hands Yuzuru a few bottles and pots with a serious look in his eyes. “Don’t mistreat them, they are my angels.”

Yuzuru agrees with wide, surprised eyes, placing them carefully on the countertop, lining them up by size. “I’ll use them every night,” he says obediently.

“Good, you learn quickly,” Shoma says approvingly. “Now, you wanted me to paint your nails?”

 

“So I don’t know what color to pick,” Yuzuru says timidly. “I tried the red, but I messed up a lot.”

Shoma surveys Yuzuru’s bottles of nail polish. “I think you would look good with red nails,” he says finally. “Hold on, not that gaudy red. I’m going to get a few of mine.”

He returns with three miniscule bottles, each a different hue of red, but barely.

“This one is a blue-based red, so it looks great on paler skin like yours,” Shoma says knowledgeably. “And then there’s this lovely scarlet. It’s quite mature.” He holds up the bottles and compares them against his skin. “So what do you think?”

Yuzuru blinks, overwhelmed. “Uh, you pick.”

“Okay,” Shoma agrees happily, twisting open the scarlet eagerly. “Trust me, this is going to look great.”

He kneels down and picks up Yuzuru’s left hand, placing it on the countertop and focusing intensely. From Yuzuru’s view, Shoma is hunched over, diligently swiping on color. He bites his lip in concentration, pausing to see the first nail, checking to see if the edges were clean.

Yuzuru is amazed by the way Shoma handles the brush with ease, expertly painting strokes of a smoky red. The concentration Shoma holds captivates Yuzuru. His eyes are directed at the nails and burning with acute attention. He flicks the brush to catch the corners and cover the nails in a glossy sheen, tilting his head to admire the shine.

It’s mesmerizing: the way Shoma devotes all of his energy to a small task like painting Yuzuru’s nails. He’s entirely absorbed in his endeavor, poring over each nail with devastating zeal. Yuzuru’s lips curl into a smile as he watches the younger boy glaze his nails in several coats until they are lustrous and glimmering.

As Shoma finishes, he looks up with wide, unsure eyes, and Yuzuru feels his chest tighten. “Wow,” he breathes out, lifting his hands and admiring how the light travels on the striking hue. “This is amazing, Sho,” he praises.

Shoma ducks his head and blushes, pleased. “Thank you,” he mutters. “It’s not as good as a professional manicure, but I tried my best.”

“This is even better than a professional manicure,” Yuzuru says, staring at Shoma with awe. “When you retire, you should paint nails. Everyone would love it.”

Shoma continues to stare at the ground, trying to force his flush away.

“I love it,” Yuzuru adds awkwardly. He feels like he wants to say something, but the words won’t roll off his tongue, and he ends the sentence there.

Shoma shyly looks up, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. “Thank you, Yuzu,” he says quietly. “I appreciate you letting me do your nails. We should do this again soon.”

“Oh, are you leaving?” Yuzuru asks, taken by surprise. “Are you busy? I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t bother me at all,” Shoma explains hastily. “I just thought, I’ve intruded for too long.”

“You’re welcome to stay,” Yuzuru says, swallowing hard, tripping on his words. “Really, it’s okay if you stay. I mean. I would enjoy it if you stayed.” He cringes at the awkward phrasing.

“So… do you want me to stay or not?” Shoma asks, confused.

“Stay,” Yuzuru says softly. “Please.”

Shoma smiles in response, face glowing with a youthful innocence. “That would be nice.”


End file.
